Cats Aren't So Bad
by NorthernDownpour143
Summary: Marinette was many things. Ladybug lover. Aspiring fashion designer. Daughter of the best bakers in Paris. One thing she wasn't was fond of cats. They never did anything to her personally, she just never really cared much for one. So what was she to do with a sleeping black cat in her kitchen sink?


Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Aspiring fashion designer.

Baker extraordinaire.

Secret ladybug lover.

Not so much a cat person.

So why was staring at her kitchen sink that currently had a sleeping black cat in it? She rubbed her eyes a few times. Maybe she was tired after her long day at work. She pulled her hands back, hoping against hope that the cat was gone.

Nope. Still there.

 _Great,_ she thought, _how do I take care of this?_

Marinette slowly put her things down on the kitchen counters to try and not wake the cat and she quietly approached him to get a better look. Maybe he had a collar? As she peaked at the sleeping black fur ball that was occupying her sink, she saw no sign of a collar. Great. Now what?

She sighed as she picked up her phone to dial Alya and headed out to her balcony. It didn't take long for her best friend to pick up.

"Hey girl!" Alya greeted. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. The usual. Overworked. Undercaffeinated. Tripped over a dress form today and almost ruined my mentor's dress they were working on. I think I almost died today because of that one." She cringed at the memory. Lucie was an amazing woman and was one of the best in the industry and Marinette counted her blessings every day that she got to work with her. But when it gets close to crunch time, Lucie is the devil in disguise.

"OH! And I have a black cat sleeping in my sink as we speak," she casually slid in the last part, wanting to see how Alya would answer this.

"Adopt it. Now." She deadpanned.

Marinette just laughed. "Yeah right Al. You know I'm not a big cat person. Besides, what if he belongs to someone?"

"Don't matter. He's in your sink now. He's obviously comfortable. And anyways, maybe this is a sign that you are meant to be a cat lady."

Marinette already knew where she was headed with this conversation. "Alya. I love you. I want to grow old with you as my best friend still doing ridiculous things. But I swear to God, I will not be a crazy old cat lady with you."

"It'd still be considered ridiculous…" Alya muttered under her breath.

"Anyways, how was your…" Marinette was cut off by a new voice joining in the conversation.

"Excuse me, but did I hear you found a cat?"

She looked up and to her right to find her neighbor on his balcony, looking quite anxious and hopeful. But why did it have to be him? That was the 'Hot Neighbor' as Alya had dubbed him. The one that had moved in about five months back and the only thing Marinette had ever managed to say to him was hi. And sometimes that wouldn't even come out. His blonde hair looked a little disheveled and his green eyes were showing that anxiousness she picked up earlier.

"Mari? Earth to Mari."

"Hello?" her neighbor waved at her, which snapped her back to present day real fast.

"Oh! Hi! Sorry," she started and meant to continue, but couldn't get the words to come out.

He smiled at her, happy to finally get her talking to him. "I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but my stupid cat seems to have gotten lost and I heard you talking about a cat in a sink and I couldn't help but ask because that sounds like my cat and… Yeah. Do you think I could come over to see if it's him?" The hot neighbor suddenly stopped and put one hand behind his head and laughed a little. "I seem to be babbling. Sorry."

Marinette had listened to him. She really had. He wanted to come into her house to get his cat. Cool. Tell him that. But all she could do was nod in agreement at him and watch his smile grow.

"Thanks so much! I'll be over in just a minute!" He exclaimed and went inside his apartment. Marinette finally came to when she felt her phone vibrate with a text a few seconds later.

 **I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY MARI. TALK TO HIM. ABOUT ANYTHING. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T TALK TO HIM I WILL END YOU MYSELF. -Alya**

 **P.S. I expect a full run down of everything tomorrow. XO Alya**

Well, looked like she was going to chat with him tonight if she valued her life. She walked herself back into her apartment, checked on the cat who was still snoozing in the sink, and then finally made her way to the front door to wait for her neighbor. She'd be lying to herself if she didn't check out her appearance in every reflection on her way there to make sure she looked presentable.

There was a knock on the door and Mari froze for a second. _It's okay Mari. He's here for the cat. Just talk about cats. Yeah._ Her little pep talk helped her enough that she could open the door and smile at him.

"Hi!" There, that wasn't so bad.

His dazzling smile graced his face as he replied. "Hello. You know, I don't think we've ever been introduced properly. Adrien," he stated and held out a hand.

 _Come on Mari!_ "Marinette," she replied and grabbed his hand to shake. _Good job! Keep it up_! She motioned for him to come on in and shut the door behind him as he stepped into her home. "The kitchen is this way," she motioned again and led him to the sleeping black fur ball.

Adrien took one look at the cat and sighed. "Yeah, that's Plagg." He sounded a little exhausted saying that. He moved for the sink and scooped up the unsuspecting cat, causing him to squeak when he got picked up and held up in front of Adrien's face. "Really Plagg? Did you have to escape again?" The cat just meowed at his face and then turned his nose to Adrien. "Ugh. The things I do for you."

Marinette's giggles reminded him that he was not in his house and he turned back to her. "Um.. I'm a.. I'm sorry for causing you any trouble. My cat just likes to cause all kind of trouble for me," he chuckled as he cradled Plagg in one hand and moved the other to behind his head again. He really was cute when he did that.

"It's really no problem. He was literally in the sink the whole time." She smiled at him. Damn, she was cute when she did that.

There was a moment of silence between the two, with only the occasional meow from Plagg, who was starting to get squirmy in Adrien's arms.

"I. Well, I guess I should go put him back so he stops whining so much," Adrien groaned a little.

 _Crap! Mari, do something!_ "Well… Hey umm, do you… Do you think you may want to come back over for some macaroons?" She pointed to a box on the counter. "My parents own the best bakery in all of Paris and these are from today…"

"I'd love to!" he cheerfully answered back with no hesitation. "Just let me go get my cat back home." He was quick to turn to leave to take his cat back.

Once her door had been shut, she quickly got out her phone to send a text to Alya.

 **He's coming back! We're gonna eat macaroons!**

 _ **As stated earlier, I expect all the details tomorrow. And I mean EVERYTHING…**_

 **ALYA! OMG that's not going to happen tonight.**

 _ **Tonight…**_

 **Goodbye Al…**

By the time she was done texting Alya and had put her phone away, Adrien was knocking and coming back into the apartment with a smile on his face. Marinette held out the box of treats and he gladly took one.

"So, Marinette," he started as he followed her to her balcony and they both sat down on her patio seats, "I hear you aren't a cat person." She only shrugged. He smiled at her. "I hope I can change your opinion on cats."

She laughed at that. "That'll be a challenge." She took a bite of her own macaroon before continuing. "Are you up for that kind of challenge?"

It was his turn to shrug back at her before throwing her that smile that she loved so much. "I do love a good challenge," he said and winked at her, throwing her into blush mode. He snickered at her.

She was totally screwed.

The next morning, she shot a text to Alya.

 **Sooo. Cats? Maybe they aren't so bad.**

Alya's response?

 _ **Welcome my friend.**_


End file.
